Devin Hester

Isn't this where we came in with Devin Hester? Isn't this the kind of guy we saw eight seasons ago when he pantsed the NFL with kickoff and punt returns that were, well, ridiculous, as Jeff Joniak said? Hester is back to returning kicks and punts, period. Nothing else. None of that cockamamie wide receiver stuff that Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith shoveled. Angelo paid him like a No. 1 receiver. Smith called him a No. 1 receiver. That's the reason the Bears never had a legit No. 1...

Do you see Jordan Lynch returning kicks if he sticks with the team? -- @Mitlane from Twitter No. I don't think Lynch has the speed or quickness to excel as a returner. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.76 seconds at the scouting combine. One of the under-the-radar winners on the roster entering the draft was wide receiver Chris Williams, who will have a real shot to win both returner jobs. The Bears did not draft a player with return skills or sign an undrafted free agent that looks like a...

Cornerback Kyle Fuller, the Bears' first-round pick, will wear jersey No. 23, the team announced Friday. That number, of course, belonged to return specialist Devin Hester from 2006-13. Hester departed in free agency this offseason and signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

Devin Hester's much-anticipated race against a cheetah aired Friday on National Geographic's "Nat Geo WILD," and the Chicago Bears return ace delivered. "Man v. Cheetah" pitted Hester and the Tennessee Titans' Chris Johnson against two cheetahs from Busch Gardens Florida. While Johnson narrowly lost his race, Hester prevailed, aided by a back-and-forth format that required Hester and the cat to make four changes of direction.

Ultimately, Eric Weems made the decision that accepting a pay cut from the Bears was better than the uncertainty of the open market. Weems renegotiated the final year of his contract on Thursday, according to NFLPA records, agreeing to reduce his base salary from $1 million to the minimum for a veteran with six years of experience - $730,000. The wide receiver and special teams performer retained the $100,000 workout bonus in the contract so he can earn up to $830,000 this season...

Former Chicago Bears punter Adam Podlesh has listed his five-bedroom, 4,248-square-foot house in Libertyville for $949,000. A seven-year veteran who had struggled in the past two seasons, Podlesh, 30, was released by the Bears on March 5 after three years with the team. Just nine days later, he listed his Colonial-style brick house, which he had bought in late 2011 for $797,500. Built in 2000, the 14-room house has 51/2 baths; an open floor plan; two-story foyer;...

Chicago Bears wide receiver and return specialist Devin Hester has a contract pending to sell his seven-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot mansion in Riverwoods, which is currently listed for just under $2 million. With the Bears since 2006, Hester, 31, has made more return touchdowns than any other player in NFL history. Hester, who paid $2.2 million for the mansion in 2008, appears likely to take a loss on the property. He first listed it last April for...

Devin Hester's dogged pursuit of the NFL's record for career touchdown returns will continue in Atlanta. The longtime Bear, whose contract in Chicago expired last week, agreed to join the Falcons on a new three-year deal Thursday afternoon. The signing was first reported by ESPN. Hester, who entered the league in 2006 as a defensive back out of Miami and later became a receiver with the Bears, was used only as a return specialist last season. He had a productive season, averaging...

Devin Hester's dogged pursuit of the NFL's record for career touchdown returns will continue in Atlanta. The longtime Bear, whose contract in Chicago expired last week, agreed to join the Falcons on a new three-year deal Thursday afternoon. The signing was first reported by ESPN. Hester, who entered the league in 2006 as a defensive back out of Miami and later became a receiver with the Bears, was used only as a return specialist last season. He had a productive season, averaging...

The Chicago Bears continued Thursday with their free-agent flurry, agreeing to terms with receiver and special teamer Domenik Hixon on a one-year contract, the team announced. He will participate in the upcoming competition to return kicks for the Bears, as the club seeks to replace Devin Hester. "We're certainly going to give him an opportunity to return some kicks in practice and see what it looks like in the preseason," general manager Phil Emery said in a...

After eight highlight-packed seasons as a Bear, Devin Hester's career appears destined to finish elsewhere. Hester, who shares the NFL record of 19 career return touchdowns with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, will hit free agency Tuesday afternoon. And during an interview Wednesday on the NFL Network he confirmed what long has been suspected: the Bears will turn the page with no talks of bringing him back. “From my knowledge, I know that Chicago wants to go a different...

The Bears' Devin Hester estimates he plays video games just about every day. He said it's due in part to the free time he has and the fact that he feels he can't go out in public much. His wife doesn't mind - after all, it means he's home - except when they have family over. That's when she pulls out her secret weapon. “She'll send my son down to the basement,” said Hester, who was promoting the first-person shooter “Call of Duty: Modern...

The Sports Xchange NFL Team Report - Chicago Bears - INSIDE SLANT The Chicago Bears informed standout return specialist Devin Hester that the team would not be re-signing him for the 2014 season. Hester will become an unrestricted free agent March 11. "For the past eight seasons we have been honored to have Devin Hester as a part of our organization," general manager Phil Emery said Thursday in a statement. "While Devin has redefined the pinnacle standard of the return position in the NFL, the...

A man whose lawyer said “loves the Bears and loves Devin Hester” pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor battery for slapping the wide receiver on the head at the Des Plaines casino. “He smacked someone he shouldn't have,” attorney Frank Kostouros said of his client Daniel Rago, of Mount Prospect, after the court hearing in Skokie this afternoon. “He's been sorry from day one for what happened. … He feels terrible about it.” Read more at...

Devin Hester, you were ridiculous. The key word is were. In 134 kickoff and punt returns over the past two seasons for the Bears, Hester took it back all the way once. That's not ridiculous. That's replaceable. Appreciate a career worthy of the Hall of Fame. Debate whether Hester's kickoff return for a touchdown to open Super Bowl XLVI or his fourth-quarter punt return against the Cardinals in 2006 thrilled Chicagoans more. Respect how Hester tilted the field in the Bears'...

Chicago Bears wide receiver and return specialist Devin Hester has a contract pending to sell his seven-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot mansion in Riverwoods. It's listed for just under $2 million. Hester, with the Bears since 2006, paid $2.2 million for the residence in 2008. Hester, 31, first listed the mansion in April for $2.63 million and steadily reduced his asking price to just under $2.5 million the following month, then cut it to $2.25 million and...

Linebacker Lance Briggs on Friday lamented some painful transitions involving his "brothers" on the Bears defense while pushing himself toward accepting that change is inevitable in the NFL. Here we recap and analyze the best of his wide-ranging interview on WGWG-FM 87.7 as the Bears approach free agency with the intent of continuing their defensive overhaul. Briggs on the possibility the Bears will not re-sign cornerback Charles Tillman: "Right now, you know, I'm thinking...